Rotary engine.



T. G. McGONIGLE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV; 30. 1912.

1,154,645. I PatentedSept.28,1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

T. e. McGON IGLL ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV: 30. 19:2.

1,154,645. PatentedSept. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w, wa -547174 @u/M/ amq my 4 a t me THOMAS GEORGE McGONIGLE, 0F LAMBTON MILLS, 'ONTARIO,, CANADA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, THOMAS GEORGE Mo'- GoNIeLE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the village of Lambton Mills, in the county of York, Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Rotary Engines, as described in the.

followingspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, that form part of the same.

The principal features of the present invention consist in certain novel details of construction and th-earrangemen of parts in a rotary'engine of the type described in my United States Patent No. 995,076, dated June 13th, 1911.

The principal objects of the present invention are, to simplify the construction and operation of the engine and to devise a .con-

- struction of machine which may be utilized either as an internal combustion engine or ing an arrangement'o fwater cooling passages.

Like numerals of reference mdlcate cor responding parts in each figure.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the engine base. 7

2 are a plurality of circular casings sup- I ported from the base and inclosing the expansion chambers 3, saidcasings being here shown divided centrally of their width, the half sections beingbolted securely together.

The interior Walls of the-circular expansion chambers 3 are formed with the inner peripheral surface 4 of semi-circular shape I in cross section contlnumg from the flat s1de walls 5.

The casings 2 are'formed with laterally extending cylindrical shaped portions 6 arranged eccentrically. in relation to the expansion chambers 3.] V 7 are circular plates secured to the flanged edges '8 of the cylindrical portions f the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 30, 1912. Serial No. 734,300.

Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

casings 2 and having the concentrically 'ar-,

ranged circular shaped bosses 9, extending inwardly therefrom into thecylindrical portions 6, said bosses having the cylindrical orifices 10 eccentrically arranged therein and in concentric arrangement with the periphery of the expansion chambers 3 and through which the shaft 11 journaled at the ends in the bearings 10* extends.

12 are the. rotor members formed with the annular extension portions 13 extending into the'annular recesses formed between the cvlindrical portions G and the bosses 9 and b eing journaled therein. The central portions 14 of the rotors extend outwardly past the cylindrical portions 6 into the expansion chambers 3 and the outer periphery of said central portion is formed semi-circular in cross section to fit the semi-circular cross sectional shape of the said expansion chambers so that the rotors contact withthe inner surface of the expansion chambers where the eccentrically arranged peripheral surfaces meet. -The rotor members are here shown supported on roller bearings 15 thoiilgh any suitable style of bearings may be use 16 is an oscillator member arranged within the arc shapedrecess 17 formed in the rotor 12, said oscillator being journaled upon the cylindrical extensions 18 projecting into the v circular recesses 19 in said rotor.

The rotor members 12 are formed with central circular openings 20 therethrough.

into which'the bosses 9 of theplates 7 ex tend. i

21 are the piston vanes secured, to the shaft 11 and extending. outwardly through a slot 22 in the oscillators 16 and having the outer ends formedsemi-circular to fit the inner peripheral surface of the expansion chambers 3 in a close running fit.

23 are packing strips arranged in the edge faces of the piston vanes 21 and having the band portions 23 encircling the sald piston vanes at a point intermediate of their length, the strips engaging the walls of the expan sion chamber and band portions engaglng the surfaces of the slot 22 in the oscillators making a steam tight joint therewith. The

IOO

oscillators 16 are provided with packing members 24; engaging the inner walls of the recesses 17. I 1

25 are roller bearings arranged within the 11o oscillator and engaging the pistonvanes and forming transverse bearings therefor.

mately tangentially .26 and 27 are ports formed in the casings 2 at the top thereof and leading from the expans on chambers 3, said ports being prefto the expansion chambers.

28 are cylindrical valve casings mounted on the casings 2, each having a centrally arranged cylindrical valve chamber 29 communicating with the ports 26 and 27.

v 30 are valve chambers formed in the casings 2 and arranged intermediate of the length of the ports 26 and 27 and preferably slightly tapered.

31 are segmental valves having circular tapered ends, fitting thetaperedvalve chambers 30.

tween the valve chambers 30 and communi- I Y port. The passages 32 of each units are connected in series by catin-g with a passage 33 arranged at right angles thereto and leadingout throughthe side of the casing and forming the exhaust of the engine or the exhaust from each unit may be directed to a suitable exhaust pipe. 35 are cylindrical valvesarranged w1th1n the valve chambers 29 and having the'ports rotation.

ports.

36 through the circular wall thereof adapted to communicatewith the orts 26 and 27 in 37 are spring packing rings arranged-in 4 grooves formed at each side-of the ports 36,

said rings being connected by transverse bar portions 38 extending across the ends of the ports 36 thereby forming a seal around said 39 are lengths of pipe secured centrally in the end walls of the valves35 and extending forming a hollow shaft therebetween and connection for operating said valves 111 umon. I

41 is a shaft operatively connected to the valve 35 at one end of the group of units. 1' 42 isa bevel gear wheel "secured to the shaft41. v

43 is a bevel pinion secured tothe main 44 is a shaft. journaled in suitable-bearings at the end of the'machine having'the bevel --pinions 45 and 46 securedthereto and meshing with the bevel gears 42 and- 43 thus forming-the means for operating the-rotary valves. A toothed gear connection for driving the valves is herein shown but it must be understood that a chain and sprocket con v nection may beused if desired.

' .in series of The valves are driven in unison The engine units are preferably arranged vanes are so arranged that the impulses will be imparted at three different periods, thereby imparting uniform torque .to the shaft.

ably at half speed and are arrangedwith their ports in the proper relative positions to open communication with the inlet ports to the pipes 34 hree as shown and the piston and ,prefera the expansion chambers just as the piston vane moves past the inner end of the said ports. a

The port is retained open for a period in which the piston vane moves onward increasing the volume of the expanslon cham- 'ber'back of the vane in communication with the inlet. The further rotation of the valve 35 closes the inlet and the expansive force of the gas admitted is utilized to propel the piston through the remainder of'its ,cycle of rotation. ,One end valve chamber 29 is here 1 openings 47 therein. '32 are transverse passages extending beter which-is not shown.

The pistonbf the compressor 49 is here connecting rod 53 to an eccentric 54 on the main shaft. A small compressor +of this shown.operat1vely connected by means of a I type may be used but any other desirable form-:may be utilizedIWithout in any way departing from the'spirit' of the present invention. It may be found desirable to operate another rotary unit similar to those' described as a compressor in place of a reciproeating compressor.

. The tapered valves nected together in series at each side ofthe 31 are operatively conengine by suitable spindlesv 55 and 56 are handles secured to the ends of said spindles.

57 is a link connecting the handles 56 so that when either handle is operated to turnthe valves on one side to open or close the intake orexhaust the valves at the other side will operate in unisontherewith to close or open the ports. 7 I

The cooling of the expansion chamber and the rotary piston vane. may be accomplished by inclosing' the said expansion chamber with a suitable water jacket 60 as illustrated in Fig. 4 and the water maybe cir-- culated through the main shaft and the piston van es through the passages 58 and 59.

60 is a casing encircling the outer end of .the hollow shaft having communication with the hollow shaft through the slots 61 therein and the water'is circulated through the pipe 62 back to the water'jacket.

In the operationof this machine; as aninternal combustion motor, the compressed gas is forced into the hollow rotary valves, passing from one valve tothe other through the hollow shaft connecting the several valves in series.

On the rotation of the main shaft, the

valve shaft is rotatedto rotate the cylindrical valves within ,their respective casings preferably at half speed. The handles 56 greases are operated to turn the valves 31 to open the ports on one side of the power units,

I the valves at the other side communicating with the cylindrical valve chamber opening the inner portion of the port leading from the expansion chamber to the exhaust.

As the valves 35 rotate and move the ports therein to register with the inlet port, the compressed gas contained Within the hollow valve flows through the port into the .expansion chamber back of the rotating piston vane and at the pre-determined period the rotary valve cuts oif the intake port from the main compressed supply. The charge is then ignited by the spark plug 63 arranged in the inlet passage.

When the ignition takes place the inlet port is closed by the rotary valve and the transverse port is closed by the tapered segmental valve but the port opening from the expansion chamber at the opposite side of the engine is opened to the exhaust, consequently as the piston receives the impulse of the charge the exhaust gases flow out through the passages 32 and 33 and the pipes 34. c

The timing of the valves and spark mech-' anism may be regulated as desired in order to accomplish the best results.

In order to reverse the engine it is merely necessary to operate'the handles 56 to rotate the valve 31 so as to close communication between the port 26 and the valve chamber 29 and opening the lower portion of the said port with the exhaust and coincidently closing communication between the port 27 and .the exhaust and opening said port 27 to the cylindrical chamber 29.

The ports in the rotary valve are so arranged that when the movement is reversed the gases will be directed to the opposite side at the proper time to exert their pressure upon the rotating piston vane, said vane will have passed the port in the casing before the inlet takes place. 7 a

I have herein described my device as more particularly adapted to the internal combustion type of engine but it will be readily understood that the same arrangement of.

rotors and valves may be utilized for steam or compressed air propulsion or the device may be utilized as a compressor. I In the drawings, I have shown a series of three units but it must be understood that I may operate the units singly or may use desirable number without in any way limiting myinvention. Y

What I claim as my invention is I l. Ina rotary engine, a casing having a circular expansion chamber, a rotor eccentrically journaled within said expansion chamber, a hollow shaft journaled eccentrically within said expansion chamber and extending transversely therethrough, a piston vane secured to said hollow shaft and having a water passage therein, communicating with. the hollow shaft and extending outwardly to the end and returning to said shaft, a hollow casing encircling the end of said shaft extending beyond the main casing and having communication with the passage in said shaft through openings therein, a water jacket inclosing said expansion chamber, and a circulation pipe leading from the hollow casing encircling the shaft to said water jacket.

2. In a rotary engine, a plurality of circular casings each having a circular expansion chamber, a shaft extending transversely through said casings, rotors eccentrically journaled within "said casings, radial piston vanes arranged within said casings and secured to said shaft and extending through said rotors, valve casings secured to said main casings and each having a pair v of ports therein, ports in said main casing leading from the ports in said valve casings to the expansion chambers and arranged one at each side of the point of contact between the rotors and the wall of the expansion chambers, hollow cylindrical valves arranged in said valve casings, a hollow shaft extending between and rigidly connecting said rotary valves and adapted to convey the expansible fluid to said valves, means for rotating said hollow shaft, and means for directing the exhaust from said expansion chambers.

Signed at the city of Toronto, county of York, Ontario, Canada, this 1st day of November, 1912. I 

